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Biorefineries: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Energy Production

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Thermochemical and Catalytic Conversion Technologies for Future Biorefineries

Part of the book series: Clean Energy Production Technologies ((CEPT))

Abstract

Biorefineries represent an integrated approach to facilitate biomass conversion to produce useful fuels, energy, and bulk chemicals from biomass. It employs microbes in the production process, employing methods that have a low carbon footprint. This chapter reviews the various approaches inside a modern biorefinery, from enhanced production of ethanol which can be used as a petrol alternative, to genetic engineering, allowing the production of solvents, bulk chemicals, plastics, and fibers. These advances make production in biorefineries greener as they counter various environmental implications by using lesser energy and being less toxic, producing lesser waste and cost-effective high-end products compared to their traditional manufacturing counterparts. Additionally, the extensive development in applications of biotechnological tools in biorefineries that convert biomass feedstocks to energy and other useful products is also reviewed. From pyrolysis-based processes to gasification, sugar-based biorefineries, and energy crops along with oilseed and lignocellulosic biorefineries. Further, the challenges to integrating higher value chemicals production systems with commodities, for energy and fuel, are also presented, with scope for optimization through resource utilization while minimizing wastes also discussed. Such advances catalyze diversification in feedstocks and products and contribute to sustainability from both economic and environmental perspectives.

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Abbreviations

CBH:

Cellobiohydrolase

crRNA:

CRISPR RNA

DBS:

Double-stranded breaks

DME:

Dimethyl ether

EG:

Endoglucanase

GalP:

Galactose permease

GPI:

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol

IEA:

International Energy Agency

LCF:

Lignocellulose feedstock

PEP:

Phosphoenolpyruvate

PHA:

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PTS:

Phosphotransferase system

RNAi:

RNA interference

SSF:

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

TAG:

Triglycerides

TALENs:

Transcription activator-like effectors nucleases

ZNFs:

Zinc finger

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Competing Interests

All the authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Debajyoti Bose, Riya Bhattacharya, Alwiya Rizvi & Anuj Poonia

  2. Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Devansh Saraf

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, India

    Praveen Kumar Ghodke

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  1. Debajyoti Bose
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  2. Riya Bhattacharya
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  3. Alwiya Rizvi
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  4. Anuj Poonia
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  5. Devansh Saraf
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  6. Praveen Kumar Ghodke
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Bioprocess & Bioenergy Lab, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

    Pradeep Verma

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Bose, D., Bhattacharya, R., Rizvi, A., Poonia, A., Saraf, D., Ghodke, P. (2022). Biorefineries: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Energy Production. In: Verma, P. (eds) Thermochemical and Catalytic Conversion Technologies for Future Biorefineries. Clean Energy Production Technologies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4316-4_8

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